1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to agricultural implements. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention concern a foldable marker for an agricultural implement.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known in the art that some agricultural implements, such as planters and drills, need to be moved precisely along a field. For instance, when an operator is planting the field and/or applying fertilizer to the field, it is desirable to completely cover a predetermined area of the field by making multiple passes across the field with the implement. In making such planting and/or fertilization passes, the operator will generally prefer to minimize overlapping coverage by adjacent passes. By minimizing overlapping of adjacent passes, the operator will generally minimize seed and/or fertilizer waste, reduce planting and/or fertilization time, and reduce associated operation costs.
Thus, to provide suitable planting efficiency, prior art implements have long included a shiftable marker with a coulter disc. In the conventional form, the marker is selectively shifted to extend laterally from the implement so that the coulter disc cuts into the ground at a location spaced laterally from the implement. Thus, as the implement makes a pass along the field, the disc cuts a trench in the field parallel to the pass. In the usual manner, the trench serves as visual indicia for the operator to follow and align the implement during the next adjacent pass. When field operations are completed, the marker may be retracted from its extended (or unfolded) condition so that the implement can be transported.
However, prior art markers for agricultural implements suffer from certain undesirable limitations. For example, conventional markers do not generally fold into a compact position adjacent to the rest of the implement. For conventional markers with multiple folding joints, such markers have a complicated construction with multiple powered actuators to fold and unfold the marker. Consequently, these markers are generally prone to failure and expensive to manufacture.